1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a package storing apparatus for temporarily receiving and storing packages in order to sequentially smoothly transport the packages to a next processing step.
2. Prior Art Statement
According to a conventional package storing apparatus, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 which illustrate the entire structure thereof, a number of rows of package placing shelves 41 capable of placing a plurality of packages P in one row are arranged in a longitudinal direction, and several lines thereof are provided. Opposite ends of the package place shelves 41 are connected by an endless chain 42. The chain 42 is extended, in a zigzag fashion, over sprockets 44 . . . and 50 provided at an upper portion and at a lower portion within a package storehouse 43 and rotates in a direction as indicated at arrow A. Each package placing shelf 41 is supported to be able to swing about a shaft secured to the chain 42, and a placing surface of each package placing, shelf 41 is always upwardly directed due to the weight of the package placing shelf 41.
In use of the package storehouse 43 as described above, a package P formed by a winder is put upright on a tray 52 and is transported to a supply port 55 open to the side face of a housing 54 of the package storehouse 43 by a package supplying conveyor 53. The number of packages capable of being received in each row of package placing shelves 41 are continuously transported. On the other hand, one of the empty package placing shelves 41 stops before the supplying conveyor 53. Thereafter, when the trays for one row of packages P on the package supplying conveyor 53 are pressed from their sides by a pusher 56 in a direction as indicated by an arrow, the packages P are transferred into the package placing shelf 41.
Similar operation is repeated so that the packages P are received into the package placing shelves 41. Various kinds of packages P can be received into the package placing shelves 41, in which case, kinds of packages in each row of package placing shelves 41 are stored in a memory.
On the other hand, in take-out operation of packages P, a predetermined package placing shelf 41 is stopped in front of a delivery conveyor 57, and a tray carrying a package P and placed on the package placing shelf 41 is extruded by a pusher 59 arranged opposedly of the pusher 56 to thereby extrude the package P on the package placing shelf 41 from a discharge port onto the delivery conveyor 57. The discharged package P is transported by the delivery conveyor 57 to a predetermined site.
In the conventional apparatus, the pushers 56 and 59 are arranged in a horizontal direction opposing the tray, and therefore, the length of the pushers 56 and 59 should be determined in consideration of a stroke corresponding to a spacing between the conveyor 53 and the package placing shelf 41. Therefore, a space corresponding to that length is required. Accordingly, dead spaces for long pushers are left, and spaces in the factory and in the storehouse are sometimes uneconomical.